Eric from KCMO on 8/26/2026 5:10:12 PM:
I did the Katy Trail in 2021. The whole thing, plus I decided to extend to Kansas and Illinois since both are pretty close considering the Katy almost crosses the whole state. One could cross into Alton via the US 67 bridge. From Machens one backtracks to Black Walnut then ride lightly traveled roads, and then a brief ride on US 67 to the bridge which has a bike lane. That’s not what I did because I found something much more interesting. I backtracked towards St Charles airport then north to the Grafton Ferry. I took the ferry across the Mississippi river to Grafton then rode on The Great River Road to Alton. MCT Trails are a great resource for the Illinois side. From Alton I rode trails to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge back across the Mississippi into Missouri and a paved trail all the way to the Gateway Arch. The OCofR bridge is pedestrian and bike only, no cars. The Grafton Ferry is now open year round AND they take plastic. Google any of these topics. Great ride!